# 冥

| 冥 | U+51A5, &#20901; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-51A5 |
| ← 冤 [U+51A4] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 冦 → [U+51A6] |

## Translingual
### Han character

冥 (Kangxi radical 14, 冖+8, 10 strokes, cangjie input 月日卜金 (BAYC), four-corner 3780$_0$, composition ⿱冖昗 or ⿱𠕾六)

#### Derived characters

* 凕 塓 嫇 㟰 幎 慏 㨠 溟 猽 暝 榠 熐 䄙 瞑 䏃 螟 鄍 䒌 覭 䫤 鼆 蓂

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 130, character 28
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1588
* Dae Jaweon: page 293, character 8
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 304, character 10
* Unihan data for U+51A5

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

| | Old Chinese |
| 瞑 | *meːn, *meːns, *meːŋ |
| 嫇 | *mreːŋ, *meːŋ, *meːŋʔ |
| 慏 | *meŋʔ |
| 冥 | *meːŋ |
| 榠 | *meːŋ |
| 鄍 | *meːŋ |
| 溟 | *meːŋ, *meːŋʔ |
| 螟 | *meːŋ |
| 猽 | *meːŋ |
| 蓂 | *meːŋ, *meːɡ |
| 覭 | *meːŋ, *meːɡ |
| 暝 | *meːŋ, *meːŋs |
| 幎 | *meːɡ |
| 幂 | *meːɡ |
| 塓 | *meːɡ |
Originally ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) : 冖 (“cloth cover”) + 日 (“sun”) + 廾 (“two hands”); hence, the upper part of the character is 𠕾. The 廾 was later corrupted to 六.
May also be a phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *meːŋ) : phonetic 冖 (OC *meːɡ) + semantic 日 + semantic 廾 (Shuowen Jiezi).

### Etymology

An area word for "night"; Compare Proto-Hmong-Mien *ʰməŋH (“night”), Proto-Bahnaric *maŋ (“night”), Burmese မည်း (many:, “dark; black”) (Schuessler, 2007).
STEDT compares it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *muːŋ ~ r/s-muːk (“foggy; dark; sullen; menacing; thunder”).

### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): míng (ming$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): ming$^4$ / ming$^5$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): mèn
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ming$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): bêng
    (Teochew, Peng'im): mêng$^5$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: míng
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: míng
*** Wade–Giles: ming$^2$
*** Yale: míng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ming
*** Palladius: мин (min)
*** Sinological IPA : /miŋ³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: ming$^4$ / ming$^5$
*** Yale: mìhng / míhng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: ming$^4$ / ming$^5$
*** Guangdong Romanization: ming$^4$ / ming$^5$
*** Sinological IPA : /mɪŋ²¹/, /mɪŋ¹³/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mèn
*** Hakka Romanization System: men$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: men$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /men¹¹/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: ming$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /miŋ¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng
*** Tâi-lô: bîng
*** Phofsit Daibuun: beeng
*** IPA (Xiamen): /biɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /biɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪŋ¹³/
*** IPA (Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: mêng$^5$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mêng
*** Sinological IPA : /meŋ⁵⁵/
* Middle Chinese: meng
Rime :
| Character | 冥 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 明 (4) |
| Final (韻) | 青 (125) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | IV |
| Fanqie | 莫經切 |
| Baxter | meng |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /meŋ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /meŋ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /mɛŋ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /mɛjŋ/ |
| Li Rong | /meŋ/ |
| Wang Li | /mieŋ/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /mieŋ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | míng |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | ming$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*mˤeŋ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*meːŋ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 冥 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | míng |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ meng › |
| Old Chinese | /*mˁeŋ/ |
| English | dark |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 冥 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 9197 |
| Phonetic component | 冥 |
| Rime group | 耕 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 冥 |
| Old Chinese | /*meːŋ/ |

#### Definitions

冥
* (literary) dark; dim; gloomy; faint
* (literary) ignorant; muddled
    冥頑不靈／冥顽不灵 ― míngwánbùlíng ― obstinate and ignorant
* deep; profound
    苦思冥想 ― kǔsīmíngxiǎng ― to think long and hard
* the underworld
    冥府 ― míngfǔ ― the nether world
* (obsolete) night
* a surname

##### Compounds

* 冥佑
* 冥具
* 冥冥 (míngmíng)
* 冥冥中
* 冥冥之中
* 冥加
* 冥司
* 冥器 (míngqì)
* 冥土
* 冥報 / 冥报
* 冥壽 / 冥寿
* 冥契
* 冥奧 / 冥奥
* 冥婚 (mínghūn)
* 冥子裡 / 冥子里
* 冥寂
* 冥寞
* 冥寶 / 冥宝
* 冥府 (míngfǔ)
* 冥思 (míngsī)
* 冥思苦想 (míngsīkǔxiǎng)
* 冥思苦索 (míngsīkǔsuǒ)
* 冥想 (míngxiǎng)
* 冥搜
* 冥數 / 冥数
* 冥昧
* 冥會 / 冥会
* 冥河
* 冥漠
* 冥漠君
* 冥濛 / 冥蒙
* 冥王 (míngwáng)
* 冥王星 (Míngwángxīng)
* 冥界
* 冥福
* 冥童
* 冥籍
* 冥紙 / 冥纸
* 冥茫
* 冥蒙
* 冥行
* 冥行擿埴
* 冥衣 (míngyī)
* 冥誕 / 冥诞 (míngdàn)
* 冥資 / 冥资
* 冥途 (míngtú)
* 冥鈔 / 冥钞 (míngchāo)
* 冥錢 / 冥钱
* 冥鏹 / 冥镪
* 冥靈 / 冥灵
* 冥頑 / 冥顽 (míngwán)
* 冥頑不靈 / 冥顽不灵 (míngwánbùlíng)
* 冥鴻 / 冥鸿
* 冥默
* 北冥
* 幽冥 (yōumíng)
* 幽冥地府
* 幽冥戒 (Yōumíng jiè)
* 悄冥冥
* 悄悄冥冥
* 晦冥 (huìmíng)
* 杳冥
* 沉冥
* 混冥
* 渺渺冥冥
* 玄冥
* 穹冥
* 窅冥
* 窈冥
* 窈窈冥冥
* 西冥
* 邈冥冥
* 青冥
* 風雨晦冥 / 风雨晦冥
* 鴻飛冥冥 / 鸿飞冥冥

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): mián (mian$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄢˊ
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: mián
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄢˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: mián
*** Wade–Giles: mien$^2$
*** Yale: myán
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mian
*** Palladius: мянь (mjanʹ)
*** Sinological IPA : /mi̯ɛn³⁵/

#### Definitions

冥
* Only used in 顛冥／颠冥.

### Pronunciation 3

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): miàn (mian$^4$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄢˋ
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: miàn
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄢˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: miàn
*** Wade–Giles: mien$^4$
*** Yale: myàn
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: miann
*** Palladius: мянь (mjanʹ)
*** Sinological IPA : /mi̯ɛn⁵¹/

#### Definitions

冥
* Only used in 冥眴.

### References

* “冥”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* 莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “冥”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 159.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)
* dark
    Synonym: 溟
* underworld; the world of dead people

#### Readings

* Go-on: みょう (myō, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: めい (mei, Jōyō)
* Kun: くらい (kurai, 冥い)

#### Compounds

* 冥(みょう)冥(みょう) (myōmyō) (溟(みょう)溟(みょう))
* 冥(めい)暗(あん), 冥(めい)闇(あん) (meian)
* 冥(めい)海(かい) (meikai) (溟(めい)海(かい))
* 冥(めい)晦(かい) (meikai)
* 冥(めい)頑(がん) (meigan)
* 冥(めい)愚(ぐ) (meigu)
* 冥(めい)契(けい) (meikei)
* 冥(めい)鴻(こう) (meikō)
* 冥(めい)合(ごう) (meigō)
* 冥(めい)色(しょく) (meishoku) (瞑(めい)色(しょく))
* 冥(めい)棲(せい) (meisei)
* 冥(めい)想(そう) (meisō) (瞑(めい)想(そう))
* 冥(めい)捜(そう) (meisō) (瞑(めい)捜(そう))
* 冥(めい)漠(ばく), 冥(めい)邈(ばく) (meibaku)
* 冥(めい)茫(ぼう), 冥(めい)芒(ぼう) (meibō)
* 冥(めい)昧(まい) (meimai)
* 冥(めい)冥(めい) (meimei) (溟(めい)溟(めい))
* 冥(めい)蒙(もう), 冥(めい)濛(もう) (meimō)
* 冥(めい)黙(もく) (meimoku)
* 暗(あん)冥(めい) (anmei)
* 晦(かい)冥(めい) (kaimei) (晦(かい)暝(めい))
* 空(くう)冥(めい) (kūmei)
* 玄(げん)冥(めい) (genmei)
* 高(こう)冥(めい) (kōmei)
* 混(こん)冥(めい) (konmei) (混(こん)溟(めい))
* 紫(し)冥(めい) (shimei)
* 邃(すい)冥(めい) (suimei)
* 西(せい)冥(めい) (seimei) (西(せい)溟(めい))
* 宕(とう)冥(めい) (tōmei)
* 南(なん)冥(めい) (nanmei) (南(なん)溟(めい))
* 北(ほく)冥(めい) (hokumei) (北(ほく)溟(めい))
* 幽(ゆう)冥(めい) (yūmei)
* 杳(よう)冥(めい) (yōmei)
* 窅(よう)冥(めい) (yōmei)
* 窈(よう)冥(めい) (yōmei)
* 冥(みょう)界(かい) (myōkai)
* 冥(みょう)官(かん) (myōkan)
* 冥(みょう)鬼(き) (myōki)
* 冥(みょう)顕(げん) (myōgen)
* 冥(みょう)衆(しゅ) (myōshu)
* 冥(みょう)道(どう) (myōdō)
* 冥(みょう)罰(ばつ) (myōbatsu)
* 冥(みょう)福(ふく) (myōfuku)
* 冥(めい)王(おう) (meiō)
* 冥(めい)王(おう)星(せい) (meiōsei)
* 冥(めい)界(かい) (meikai)
* 冥(めい)鬼(き) (meiki)
* 冥(めい)器(き) (meiki)
* 冥(めい)境(きょう) (meikyō)
* 冥(めい)土(ど), 冥(めい)途(ど) (meido)
* 冥(めい)罰(ばつ) (meibatsu)
* 冥(めい)府(ふ) (meifu)
* 冥(めい)福(ふく) (meifuku)
* 冥(めい)報(ほう) (meihō)
* 冥(めい)霊(れい) (meirei)
* 冥(めい)路(ろ) (meiro)
* 沈(ちん)冥(みょう) (chinmyō)
* 冥(みょう)応(おう) (myōō)
* 冥(みょう)恩(おん) (myōon)
* 冥(みょう)加(が) (myōga)
* 冥(みょう)感(かん) (myōkan)
* 冥(みょう)鑑(かん) (myōkan)
* 冥(みょう)譴(かん) (myōkan)
* 冥(みょう)護(ご) (myōgo)
* 冥(みょう)助(じょ) (myōjo)
* 冥(みょう)利(り) (myōri)
* 冥(みょう)慮(りょ) (myōryo)
* 冥(めい)応(おう) (meiō)
* 冥(めい)感(かん) (meikan)
* 冥(めい)佑(ゆう), 冥(めい)祐(ゆう) (meiyū)
* 冥(めい)慮(りょ) (meiryo)
* 青(せい)冥(めい) (seimei)
* 蒼(そう)冥(めい) (sōmei)
* 沈(ちん)冥(めい) (chinmei)

## Korean
### Hanja

冥 (eumhun 어두울 명 (eoduul myeong))
* hanja form of 명 (“dark, gloomy, night”)
* hanja form of 명 (“deep”)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

冥: Hán Nôm readings: minh, mênh, mưng
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.